The good times in New York have come to an abrupt halt leading into Week 15. After the Giants enjoyed a four-game win streak to climb out of fourth place in the NFC East and into the top spot, the team was pummeled by the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday that sent them back to No. 2 and a much slimmer path to the playoffs. In believing they had a better chance of downing the Cardinals with Daniel Jones under center, head coach Joe Judge opted to place backup Colt McCoy back on the bench -- despite him leading the club to an improbable upset of the Seattle Seahawks one week earlier -- in lieu of a hobbled Jones, who is not completely healed from a hamstring injury.
Needless to say, it did not end well, with linebacker Haason Reddick teeing off on Jones to the tune of a record-setting five sacks, and now Jones is nursing another injury because of the beatdown. The former first-round pick is reportedly battling a sprained ankle in addition to his hamstring ailment, per Ian Rapoport of NFL Network. Judge didn't specify what the added injury was when speaking with reporters on Wednesday, but did confirm it was a lower leg issue.
Jones' status is now very much in doubt against the Cleveland Browns on Sunday night, with Judge waiting to see if he can go through a practice regimen before making the final determination. If Jones is unable to go, it will again be McCoy taking the lead, as some believed he should've against the Cardinals. If McCoy is named starter, he'll face a Browns organization he knows quite well, considering that's the team that drafted him in the third round of the 2010 NFL Draft.
He started 21 games for the Browns before going on to a one-year stay with the San Francisco 49ers, and then signing on with the Washington Football Team in 2014.
For Jones, an absence will mark the latest black eye to his availability since being handed the starting role for the Giants -- attempting to usher in the hyper-durable, Super Bowl-winning post-Eli Manning era. Currently an owner of a 7-17 record as a starter, Jones was playing much better ball before leaving the matchup with the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 12 with the aforementioned hamstring injury. He's miss four games thus far in 2020, with a fifth potentially on the way.
